Abstract:During excavations at Babylon (1879-82), Assyrian archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam discovered a small (ten inches), clay,
barrel-shaped cylinder that contained an inscription from Cyrus the Great. Now
housed in the British Museum, the cylinder reported the Emperor’s policy
regarding captives: “I [Cyrus] gathered all their [former] inhabitants
and returned [to them] their habitations”.

Cyrus
the Great' Cylinder

(Picture
courtesy of the British Museum)

The
cylinder of Cyrus the Great was discovered in
1879 by the Assyrian archaeologist
Hormuz Rassam in his excavations at the site of Babylon. It is barrel-shaped,
around 23cm long and 11cm wide, and is inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform. Now
housed in the British Museum, it includes a detailed account by Cyrus of his
conquest of Babylon in 539BCE and his subsequent humane treatment of his
conquered subjects. It has been hailed as the world’s first declaration of
human rights.

Cyrus
Cylinder depicted on a postage stamps issued on 12 October 1971 to
celebrate the 2,500-year anniversary of the Imperial Regime in Iran

(Click
to enlarge)

Cyrus
Cylinder chosen as the symbol of 2,500-year anniversary of the Imperial Regime in Iran
(Click
to enlarge)

The
(incomplete) inscription on the cylinder starts by describing the criminal deeds
of the Babylonian king Nabonidus (lines 4-8); as well as how Marduk, the
Babylonian god, had looked for a new king and chosen Cyrus (lines 9-19). It
continues with the famous:

“I
am Cyrus, king of the world, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon,
king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world” (line 20)

After
a description of Cyrus’ ancestry and of royal protocol (lines 21-22), it goes
on to explain how Cyrus established peace and abolished forced labour (lines
22-25):

“The
people of Babylon . . . the shameful yoke was removed from them” (line 25)

The
inscription continues by detailing reparative building activities in Babylon as
well as asking for prayers for Cyrus (lines 25-28). It makes specific reference
to the Jews, who have been brought to Babylon – and who Cyrus supported in
leaving for their homeland.

Demonstrating
his religious tolerance, Cyrus
restored the local cults by allowing the gods to return to their shrines:

“
. . the gods, who resided in them, I brought back to their places, and caused
them to dwell in a residence for all time.

And
the gods of Sumer and Akkad – whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the
gods, had brought into Babylon – by the command of Marduk, the great lord,

I
caused them to take up their dwelling in residences that gladdened the heart”
(lines 32-36)

The
cylinder describes the Great King not as a conqueror, but as a liberator and the
legitimate successor to the crown of Mesopotamia. Cyrus seems to have had no
idea of forcing his new subjects into a single Persian identity, and had the
wisdom to leave intact the functioning institutions of each kingdom he attached
to the Imperial Crown.

Cyrus
officially crowned himself “King of Babylon and King of the Land”. After the coronation, which was in Marduk Temple,
Cyrus apparently publicly declaimed the words found on the cylinder.

Inscription
corroborates many of the details in Ezra 1:1-5 describing Cyrus
supporting the Jews in returning to Judea from captivity to rebuild the Temple
in 537BCE.

Isaiah
also backs up the idea of Cyrus as a benign and chosen ruler:

“Thus
saith the Lord to the anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden . . .
he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor
reward, saith the Lord of hosts” Isaiah 45: 1-13

Notes and Bibliography

C. B. F. Walker, Cuneiform Brick Inscriptions in the British Museum, the
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the City of Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery,
the City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, London, 1981.